224 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII. 
Nine specimens examined : Amara, 10-12-17, 30-1-18, 17-2-18, 29-11-17, 13-1-18 
(P. A. B.); @, Bagdad, 24-12-18 (two); @, Sheik Saad, 22-3-17. (P. Z. C. and 
R. E. C.) ; Samarra, 28-2-18 (C. R. P.). 
I have compared these with a series of European birds and a series of Eastern 
ones (India, Turkestan, etc.), the so-called ischusii of Hartert, and I must confess 
that I can see no constant difference between any of them and I am again led 
to the conclusion as before (see Ibis, 1916, p. 41) that the differences are not 
constant enough to warrant the separation of tschusii. 
4. Jackdaw. Corvus monedula. 
Corvus monedula collaris, Drummond (Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. XVIII, 
p. 11, 1846—Macedonia). 
There is not much on record concerning the Jackdaw in Mesopotamia. 
According to Logan Home it is resident and breeds in the high clifis in fair 
numbers below Tekrit, where he saw them building at the end of February and 
evidently nesting early in May. Ludlow noted them entering holes in cliffs at 
Khan Bagdadi in April, and they breed at Hit. Cheesman saw them at Tekrit 
on April 19th feeding on young locusts, but does not mention anything as 
regards nesting. 
Meinertzhagen records large flocks at Mosul in winter. Elsewhere a few are 
occasionally met with amongst rocks in winter as at Amara, Kut, and Baghdad. 
Buxton found it to he common in November on the Jebel Hamrin near Shahro- 
ban. South of Amara there are no records but it nests in the Zagros Mountains 
and Persian highlands. Weigold met with it twice in April in the Urfa district. 
One specimen examined: Shah Roban, 22-11-18 (P. A. B.). 
The white neck band is very variable and in birds of one year old it is only 
indicated as a spot on each side of the neck, little more than is found in some 
specimens of the typical race. 
5. Magpie. Pica pica. “Aq Aq’’ 
Pica pica bactriana, Bp. (Consp. Av. 1, p. 383, 1850—East Persia). 
The distribution of the Magpie in Mesopotamia is rather curious ; starting at 
Hilla on the Euphrates it is common and resident wherever there are suitable 
gardens and date groves, as far north at all events as Ana, where they are numer- 
ous ; round Baghdad it occurs but sparingly, and below the city on the Tigris 
it is absent ; on the Diala river it is found at Bakuba, Shehroban and Kizil 
Robat. i 
The Samarra-Tekrit area is unsuited to it but it is found again at Mosul. 
Wherever it occurs it probably breeds ; Pitman records it breeding at Feluja cn 
March 1th and young in the nest were found there on April 28th ; at Museyib it 
was one of the commonest garden birds, many young ones being seen in June. 
Three specimens examined : Hilla, 16-3-19 (two) (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.); Museyb, 
12-7-17 (C. R. P.). 
These have a very distinct white rump band and the black on the primaries 
very restricted, the only specimen with a perfect wing, a male, measured 210 mm. 
These birds exactly match specimens from Shiraz and are undoubtedly bactriana. 
Neumann records the typical race from Ras-el-ain near the Syrian boundary, 
whence I have seen no specimens. 
(Capt. Burke says the Chough inhabits the cliffs in Kurdistan and is eaten by 
the Kurds as food ! It might wander down to the foot hills in our area in winter.) 
6. Starling. Sturnus vulgaris. ‘“Beiji.”’ 
(1) Sturnus vulgaris vulgaris, L. (Syst. Nat. Ed. X., p. 167, 1758— 
Sweden). 
(2) Sturnus vulgaris caucasicus, Lorenz. (Beitr. Orn, Faun. Caucas., 
p. 9, 1887—Kislowodsk). 
